I called Glen Coffee at his Los Gatos apartment at 8:30 this morning. When I told him who I was, he said he was told not to talk to the media. But he said he would because, "I feel like it needs to be known why I did what I did." Coffee seemed very confidant of his decision and was happy and thoughtful throughout the conversation. There is an ongoing push - from teammates, family members, etc. - to get him to return to the team, but it's very hard to see them winning Coffee over. If you ask me, his decision is final. Here's the exclusive interview:

The first question I asked him was why, why step away from such a lucrative profession?

Coffee: "It was a struggle for a long time. Actually when I look back I feel I never should have entered the draft in the first place. Football was no longer my dream. I found Christ in college. It changed my views on everything. But I still was a football player because it was expected of me, it was something I did all my life. I was basically wasting the (49ers') time."

Why do you think you couldn't reconcile football and your faith?

Coffee: "His will, I felt, wasn't football. I felt like I forced football because everyone expected me to play football. He told me a long time ago to walk away from the game."

What will you do now?

Coffee: "It's simple. I'm going back to school." Coffee, who left the University of Alabama after his junior year, said he needed only six hours to get an undergraduate degree in consumer affairs. However, he plans to get a master's as well.

I noted that Alabama associates him with football more than anywhere else. Will it be hard to return to a school that knows you as a tailback?

Coffee: "It's going to be both. There's going to be people that understand and there's going to be people that don't understand and don't care to understand. They're going to feed off that negativity. That's life."

There has been speculation that outside influences, something like a failed drug test, prompted your decision. Can you put that to rest?

Coffee (laughs): "Yesterday I was reading on the Internet and some reporter said I made the decision because I got blown up in a blocking drill. Come on, man! Give me more credit than that! But I've got to expect that when I do something so unexpectedly. No, there were no personal issues. But I really am sorry that I put the 49ers in this situation. I should have handled it a lot differently."

You've been working nonstop since the 2009 season ended to transform your body and become a better running back. How do you do that when your mind's not fully into football?

Coffee: "Because whatever you do, you've got to do it to glorify Christ. You've got to do it 100 percent. Even though my head - it was sort of me holding onto the sport. I tried to get all the way into it."

Did the harshness of Mike Singletary's training camp play a role?

Coffee: "No. It's what we do. We're football players. I'm not walking away because of that. As far as coach Singletary and the 49ers - Singletary, that dude is legit. He's legit on all levels. He's doing what he feels is right. It's definitely not camp (that prompted his decision) and how hard camp was. That's football."

Was it difficult to tell Singletary your decision Friday morning?

Coffee: "It wasn't necessarily that I thought he was going to me mad at me. It was that I didn't take lightly that I was leaving my teammates. Because they thought I was going to war with them."

"Glen Coffee -- the former San Francisco 49ers star who recently retired after one season to pursue a religious calling -- was arrested for illegally carrying a "cocked" automatic pistol in his car ... and TMZ has obtained his mug shot.

According to police in Fort Walton Beach, Florida ... 23-year-old Coffee was pulled over for speeding ... but cops quickly discovered that Glen's vehicle -- a 2008 Cadillac -- had no registration or insurance.

Because the vehicle was deemed "unlawful to be on the roadway," cops called for the Cadillac to be towed ... but first, they ran a quick search -- and found a "black 380 SIG Sauer automatic pistol."

According to the police report, obtained by TMZ ... "The pistol was recovered with the hammer 'cocked' to the rear. It was located in the center console ... readily accessible to Coffee."

Coffee was arrested and taken to a nearby station -- where he was booked for carrying a concealed firearm ... a 3rd degree felony.

Coffee had a stellar rookie season with the 49ers ... but suddenly "retired" during training camp this year claiming "[God] told me a long time ago to walk away from the game.”

I sure do hate lines like that^ cuz hey, youve never made a mistake but this guys stupid. Anyway, this is sad.

I can guarantee you I'll never be driving an unregistered, uninsured car with a cocked pistol that I do not have a permit for in my center console. There's making mistakes and then there's **** like this.

I can guarantee you I'll never be driving an unregistered, uninsured car with a cocked pistol that I do not have a permit for in my center console. There's making mistakes and then there's **** like this.

There are other poor decisions you could make, Cicero. Im just saying we shouldnt be so quick to dismiss people as stupid.

He is clearly using the gun and unregistered vehicle to fight crime in the lord's name

Blasphemous, but Oh! so funny!@@!!!

Coffee lost his desire to play football, and for some reason he's blaming it on his religious faith IMO.
I just think the kid burned out, but he's going to realize soon that from a financial standpoint, bringing home NFL checks in a down economy is a great way to ride out a recession.

Without better options, it's not always the best idea to quit your job.

EDIT: Never saw the suicide angle until I read the last few posts. Man I hope the guy isn't going through some serious mental health issues, like clinical depression.

But when you re-read his earlier statement and the circumstances of his arrest, I dunno.

He should get on the broncos... he and Tebow could tear up the pre season with the might of god. Maybe some Christian variation of the mile high salute.

Pretty sure Lord Goodell would not allow this, even with St. Tebow's blessing...

__________________Magical sig by OSUGiants

SSAEL....... its a new revolution!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Job

On another note, Nicklas Backstrom is amazingly good.

Quote:

Meanwhile, in hockey the other night, the Washington Capitals' Eric Belanger gets hit with a stick, loses EIGHT teeth, has an instant root canal in the locker room, comes back out and PLAYS and never says boo.

So new rule, NBA: Unless you have a root canal at halftime, SHUT UP AND PLAY!